Defeating Loneliness
by Kaeru Soyokaze
Summary: People can't defeat loneliness." Lee is determined to prove Gaara wrong--on his birthday! (No pairings, one-shot birthday fic for Ledi-chan.)


Let me get this straight right here and now. This story is written solely for my awesome friend Ledi-chan on her 17th birthday. I'm quite sure that after this, I will never write for Gaara EVER EVER AGAIN. 

That settled, Happy Birthday, Ledi-chan!

If I owned Naruto, Itachi and Kisame would be door-to-door salesmen.

This takes place some time after the failed mission to retrieve Sasuke…which would explain why Sasuke…isn't there.

* * *

"People can't defeat loneliness."

Both Hyuuga Neji and Tenten were quiet, mulling this over.

"So that's what he told you?" The prodigy inquired.

Lee nodded. "After the battle with Kimimaro…right after he said that his eyes were like Naruto-kun's. Kimimaro had a special person too, like me, and you, and Tenten."

"Hmm…" Tenten mused, balancing precariously on the ladder as she fastened the streamer to the wall. "Those words…they sound sort of depressing, don't they?"

"It's a cry for help!" Lee insisted. "Clearly, Gaara WANTS his loneliness to be defeated!"

Neji reached out to steady the ladder as his female teammate swayed even more. "Which would surely explain why we are at your place, putting up foil decorations and neon green balloons." His tone was curiously flat, which was the closest he would get to sarcasm.

"Yooooosh!" The other boy beamed. "It's his birthday today and he's coming over s we can all celebrate his inspiring renewal of youth!"

"Gaara's coming over here for his birthday," Tenten echoed. Had she heard him right?

Lee nodded, still grinning widely.

"_GAARA_," she repeated.

"Yes?"

"**HOW**?"

He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet. "I found out from Temari when his birthday was, and then I invited them all over!"

_Looking at him, you'd think Gai-sensei was coming over instead of the person who defeated him in the Chuunin exams and caused him to have surgery,_ Neji thought.

"LEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

_...Never mind._

Gai burst into the house and caught his smaller look-alike up in a forceful embrace. "My adorable student, your teacher is very proud of your youthful endeavors!"

"Gai-sensei, I'll do my best to keep your pride in me alive!"

"Lee!"

"Gai-sensei!"

"GOOD MORNING!" Before the sun could set and the waves could crash in the falsetto background that magically appeared whenever those two did their routine, the door flew open with such force that it smashed into the wall and left a dent.

"NARUTO!" Haruno Sakura socked the offender's chin. "Don't break people's doors!"

"Owwwwww!"

"Geez, you're always so loud…"

The cavalry (consisting of Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba and Hinata) had arrived.

"Ino had to work in the flower shop today, so she couldn't make it," Chouji explained, handing two ribbon-spruced yellow tulips to Tenten. "So she sent these as her present."

"And Shino?"

"U-umm…" Hinata looked around nervously, then smiled. "He said to just go on without him…"

Neji surveyed the chattering group with a hint of trepidation. "You all intend to help throw Gaara a party?"

"He and his siblings were a big help in fighting off Kimimaro, Tayuya, Sakon, and Ukon," Shikamaru reminded him. "They're our allies now."

"And…he probably doesn't have too many friends," Hinata added, feeling braver now. "W-when I think about how LONELY that must be…no one deserves that."

"ESPECIALLY on their birthday!" Naruto seconded. "So bring on the party games!"

Neji thought they were all being a little bit blasé about celebrating the birthday of a homicidal sand-wielder, but he decided not to comment. Just this once.

It was then that the Sand Siblings made their arrival.

Silence reigned for a very long time…and then, in a sort of synchronized frenzied roar, the partygoers (minus Neji, who was of the firm opinion that Hyuugas did NOT scream) yelled "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GAARA!"

"You live in a zoo--" Kiba started to harmonize, but caught Gaara's murderous gaze and halted before he reached the part about looking like a primate. Akamaru whimpered uneasily, echoing his friend's sentiments: He wanted to _live_.

"It's…my birthday." Gaara looked over his shoulder at Temari for confirmation.

She nodded. "Remember? Kankurou and I told you that we were taking you somewhere special."

"You're thirteen now," Kankurou put in helpfully.

Gaara blinked.

"YOOOOOOOOOOOSH!" Gai screamed abruptly, startling them all and making poor Hinata (who was closest to him) flinch and place her trembling hands over her ears. "To think that one of us is experiencing the glorious rush that comes with a new year of youth! It's beautiful!"

In less than two minutes, the Jounin and Lee were sobbing uncontrollably, while everyone else uncomfortably averted their eyes from the sight.

"Party games would be fun, wouldn't they?" Chouji asked…not really looking for games, but eyeing the cake instead.

Grateful for any excuse, Tenten eagerly pounced on it. "Yes, they would! What first?"

"Let's play Pin the Tail on Naruto!" Kiba volunteered.

"Why me?" The blonde demanded, squinting his eyes.

"Because! Out of all of us, YOU'RE the one most like an ass!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

"You heard me!"

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN, DOG BOY!"

"I'VE GOT TWISTER!" Sakura yelled above their voices. "Who wants to play?"

Lee's eyes gleamed in anticipation of a new challenge. "Neji, I will surely best you at this and win Sakura-san's loving admiration!" Or something.

The genius barely spared him a glance. "You can't beat me."

"Fight on, Lee!" Gai cried, wiping his eyes.

In the end, Kiba, Naruto, Neji, Tenten, Kankurou and Lee took their places on the Twister mat while Temari tried to explain to her blank-faced little brother how it worked.

"You spin the arrow and it'll land on a hand or foot and a color. You call it out and they have to use that appendage to hit that color. Last person standing wins. See?"

If Gaara had eyebrows, he would have raised them. "And the purpose is…"

"To have FUN and beat everyone else!" Naruto answered cheerfully.

"I'll show you." Sakura expertly spun the arrow, waiting for it to stop. "Left hand yellow!"

Kiba and Kankurou lunged for the same spot, simultaneously jostled each other and fell with twin yelps.

Neji smirked. "Amateurs."

"You try now!" The pink-haired girl thrust the spinner at Gaara, smiling at him encouragingly.

Almost uncertainly, he spun it. "Right foot…red."

**_Fifteen Minutes Later…_**

"Lee…your foot's on my HAND," Tenten gritted out, her body slightly shaking from the exertion of attempting to stay upright in the awkward position she was in--right foot extended far left, left foot placed over Neji's own foot to hit the blue spot, right hand behind her and left hand in front (which Lee was currently crushing).

"Hahaha! Sorry, Tenten, but I cannot let Neji win! See, his face is red from exhaustion! I shall triumph!"

"Shut up, Lee."

"Left foot green," Gaara said calmly, taking an almost morbid pleasure in watching them struggle with their faces screwed up so intensely.

Naruto moved to reach the desired spot, but accidentally leaned a bit too far… and kicked Neji in the stomach. The Hyuuga let out a strangled grunt and lurched sideways into Lee.

In the words of Paul Bunyan and other famous lumberjacks…"TIMBERRRRRRRR!"

"Tenten wins!" Sakura and Temari yelled gleefully, as the three boys lay in a disoriented, groaning heap. Hinata was torn between applauding the kunoichi's victory and seeing if Naruto would live to eat another bowl of ramen.

Gai observed them all astutely, Gaara especially. Had his lips…twitched? And he hadn't declared an intent to kill them all and shed blood.

It looked like there was hope, after all.

* * *

After a three-legged race, which Hinata and Kiba had won (Shikamaru had declared the whole thing troublesome when Chouji had taken a detour and attacked the cake with single-minded ferocity, Neji and Kankurou had flatly refused to participate, Lee and Naruto had kept fighting over who would be Sakura's partner without noticing that the race had already _started_, and so on), Gai brightly announced that it was time for presents.

Gaara was made to take the position of honor on Lee's couch (though he firmly rejected the shiny foil "Crown of Youth") and everyone took turns presenting him with their gifts. A few of the more memorable ones were Chouji's unopened bag of chips, a fluffy teddy bear from Temari and Kankurou, a snow globe of a sand castle from Hinata, and (to everyone's mutual horror) a green spandex bodysuit and a coupon for a free bobbed hair cut from none other than Gai and Lee.

However, it was unanimously agreed that Naruto and Kiba's song (complete with interpretive dancing) topped them all.

"Sabaku no Gaara! You are so cool!  
We like you better than Kiba's dog's drool!  
Your clothes are strange; just like your eyes But please don't change them to look just like Gai!

Gaara! Don't make us weep!  
We hope you don't kill us all in our sleep!  
So for now, we'd like to say,  
Gaara, have a Happy Birthday!"

At that moment, when they were all looking at the Sand nin to evaluate his reaction, they saw his lips twitch again. The result was more of a pained smirk than a smile, but it was a lot better than his "I'm Going to Squish You Like a Grape" look (which most of them had half-expected, anyway).

_And that,_ thought Lee gleefully, _is how loneliness was defeated!_

And it was. Although Gaara still promised death to anyone who tried to hug him.

It was only to be expected.

**_---OOC---_**

Again, another moment where I stop and think "Did I just write that?" Well, fic accomplished and feel free to tell me again and again what a nutcase I am, because you know what? I AM a nutcase and I'm proud of it! And I am NEVER writing Gaara again. -deep sigh- Just in case you're curious, the above song can be sung with the tune of "Mr. Sandman". And I feel REALLY corny for writing this.

Thanks, everyone! And once again, a Happy Birthday to Ledi-chan!


End file.
